Prometric and IDA Ireland Announce 40 New Jobs for Dundalk

U.S. based testing company Prometric was joined today by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, TD, Minister for Business & Employment, Ged Nash TD, Dublin City University (DCU) and IDA Ireland (IDA) for joint announcements covering a three-year research partnership with DCU, valued at almost €1 million and 40 new jobs for Dundalk.

In all, Prometric will invest more than €3.5 million to expand its County Louth presence and partner with DCU. This project is supported by the Department of Jobs through IDA Ireland.

Speaking at the briefing announcement, Minister Bruton said: “Employment is growing, and the live register is falling in all regions of the country – however progress is happening faster in some regions than in others. That is why we are putting in place our regional Action Plans for Jobs, in order to accelerate jobs growth in every region of the country. Today’s announcement that leading US testing company Prometric is creating 40 extra jobs in Dundalk and creating a research partnership with DCU as part of a €3.5 million investment, is a great boost for the North East and a further example of what is possible in towns right across the country. I wish Michael and his team every success”.

Professor Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City University and Prometric CEO Michael Brannick detailed the nearly €1 million research programme investment to establish DCU’s Centre for Assessment Research in Education (CARE) and develop test types that can better assess the preparedness of Irish students at all levels of education in the areas of critical thinking and skills assessment, in addition to knowledge recall.

The research conducted through CARE is expected to influence Irish education and strengthen Ireland’s workforce, particularly for attracting multi-national employers and foreign direct investment. Three jobs will be created on the DCU campus. The programme will be led by the Prometric Chair of Assessment, serving as director of the CARE Centre. One post-doctoral student and one Ph.D. student will be hired in research roles.

In Dundalk, Prometric’s 40 new jobs will diversify and expand its operation, adding finance and customer service functions to its test development, technology, operations and human resources teams. The expansion includes €550,000 in capital expenditure and €2 million in workforce investment. When all hiring is complete, the company expects to have 168 employees in Ireland. Prometric’s two corporate sites are located in Dundalk and Dublin, with 147 jobs expected to be the total for its County Louth-based Global Operations Centre.

“Prometric’s long-term commitment in Ireland is evidenced by the lasting relationships we have created, and we are realizing a return on our investments in the form of quality and efficiency improvement gains,” said Prometric CEO Michael Brannick.

“Our partnership with DCU represents an opportunity to help Ireland attract major global employers for the next decade by strengthening the talent already in the workforce and the students preparing for careers that require trusted licenses and certifications. The bonds we have created with our clients have made Ireland’s roads safer, medical care more prepared to save lives, energy more sustainable to support economic growth, and fostered greater trust in the financial system.”